Proudly We Serve Rounding Board

Proudly We Serve

The park along Lake Boulevard has several monuments. The Dahlgren 11” smoothbore cannon has stood on the rampart since 1897. It commemorates the War Between the States. While this particular heavy gun was cast in 1864, it wasn’t assigned to a ship (the USS Marion) until 1876 and probably was never fired in anger.

The Berrien County Law Enforcement Memorial honors two St. Joseph police officers and nine other area lawmen who died in the line of duty. The police badge shown is also displayed on the belts of these three St. Joseph police officers. 

The “Lest We Forget” logo is imposed on the reenactment scene of the flag raising on Iwo Jima’s Mount Suribachi, from February 23, 1945. The “Lest We Forget” veterans group educates younger generations about the sacrifices given by the men and women who served in WWII, the Korean War or the Vietnam Conflict.

Late in the evening on September 6, 1896, the Benton Harbor Yore Opera House was engulfed in flames. As the hook and ladder companies were setting up in the alley, the brick wall collapsed and buried the firemen under tons of rubble. Twelve brave men died – seven from Benton Harbor and five from St. Joseph. Exactly two years to the day, the Firemen’s Monument was dedicated with the help of contributions from all over the United States.

“The Spirit of the American Doughboy” is a pressed copper sculpture by Ernest Moore “Dick” Viquesney and is a WWI memorial found throughout the United States. It memorializes the 100 soldiers from Berrien County who lost their lives in “the war to end all wars.”

The Korean War Memorial is dedicated to the men and women of Berrien County who served their country in “the forgotten war.” This “police action,” from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953, killed 54,246 and wounded 103,284 Americans.

The Vietnam War Memorial honors those who served in this conflict. Forty-seven young men from Berrien County paid the ultimate price with the loss of their lives.

The Proudly We Serve Rounding Board was made possible by a donation from Peg Williamson.